Electrical connecter



Sept. 15, 1936. H. B. WHITE 2,054,612

ELECTRICAL CONNECTER Filed April 22, 1953 2 Shees-Sheet 1 1729 19 4 27/44" In! is Q do 4 v INVENTOR HdrryBJ Wife ATTO RNEY Sept 15; 1936. H a E 2,054,612

ELECTRICAL CONNECTER Filed April 22, 1933 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR ATTORNEY Patented Sept. '15, 1936 ELECTRICAL oomo'rsa.

Harry B. White, .Canton, Ohio, swig-nor to The Hoover Company, North Canton, Ohio, a cor-.

poration of Ohio Application April 22, 153:, Serial a... scam 1 Claims. (01. 173 -381) This invention relates to electrical connecting devices, and more particularly to a terminal fitting for a conductorcable and having a contact bladeor blades protruding therefrom for ready connection with a fixed outlet, such fittings being sometimes referred to as electrical attachment i uss.

Since devices of this kind are usually attached to a conductor cable of considerable length they are frequently dropped upon the floor and are apt to be broken not only by impact with hard objects but also by being subjected to heavy compression strains. At the same time the conductor cable is frequently subjected to considerable tension while theconnecting device is held fixed, so that it is desirable that such strain be transmitted to the device by means other than through the screws or other means by which the electrical conductors of the cable are connected to the contacts of the device, to avoid any tendency to loosen the electrical connection and to insure that the tension will be imposed on the entire cablerather than on the wires, or a single wire thereof.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide a terminal fitting of the type which will be durable and will efliciently withstand the strains incident to use. A further object is to provide such a fitting which will not be adversely affected by the heating of the contact or contacts by reason of the arcing when used with an outlet which has broken or damaged contacts, as frequently occurs. A still further object is to provide such a durable fitting which is provided with eificient, simple and economically manufactured means for anchoring the cable thereto for transmission of tension strains. Still further objects are to provide such a fitting so formed that the internal parts may be assembled and connected to the cable and inserted as a unit in the outer portion thereof; to provide a fitting such that a single operated means will serve both to secure theparts together and to operate the cable anchoring means; and to provide such a fitting in which the electrical connections are enclosed and protected.

Still further objects of the invention and novel features of construction will be apparent from the following specification whichdescribes two em.- bodiments of the invention illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a view in side elevation of a fitting embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged view in front elevation of the structure shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged view in vertical longitudinal section, taken on line H of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged view in tr section, taken on line 4-4 of Pig. 5;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged view in horizontal longitu dinal section, taken on line 5-! of Fig. 2;

i Fig. 6 is anenlarged view in perspective of the 5 cable-anchoring wedge shown in Figs. 3 and 4;

Fig. 7 is'an enlarged view in front elevation, similar to Fig. 2, butshowing a modified strucat. ,a is an enlarged view in vertical longitudinal section, taken on line 8-4 of Fig. '1; Fig. 9 is an enlarged view in transverse section, taken on linel-e-i of Fig. 10;

Fig. 10 is an enlarged view in horizontal longitudinal section, taken on line Iii-l0 of Fig. "I;

and 1 Fig. 11 is an enlarged view in perspective of one of the cable-anchoring wedges shown in Figs. 8, 9 and- 10.

In the construction shown in Figs. 1 to 6 the fitting comprises an outer tubular cover ll, preferably moulded of soft rubber, having an opening I2 to receive and closely fit a conductor cable ll, such cable usually containing two insulated wires ll embedded in rubber to form a cable of circular cross section. Contact blades I, having screws I6, for electrically connecting the wires ll to the blades, and struck up portions [1, which act as abutments, are mounted in a front disc II and a rear disc is, such discs being preferably formed of bakelite or similar material.

The front disc I8 is provided with a centrally positioned opening 20 to receive a screw 2|, the head of which is preferably countersunk so as to be flush with the outer face of the disc. and

with the cable I3, is received in the opening 22 between the bracket 23 and the cable, its base being so positioned as to be engaged by the end of the screw 2|.

The cover II is formed with an enlarged recess 21 at its forward end to receive and house the 0 discs l8 and ii, a channel 28 being provided to receive the front disc I8 and a circumferential groove 29 being provided to receive the rear disc l9, so that between said channel and said groove the cover hasan integral inwardly protruding portion 30 positioned between said discs so as to be clamped by said discs as they are drawn together by the screw 2|. The thickness of the wall of the rear portion of the cover II is preferably diminished rearwardly and is flared outwardly at 31 to form a widened or bell-shaped mouth 32, so that angular tension applied to the cover by the cable will tend to bend the rear portion of the cover, and sharp bending of the cable will be avoided by reason of the curved inner surface of the mouth 32.

In assembling the parts, it will be evident that the cable l3 will be passed through the cover II and the rear disc l9, the wires l4 being bared and secured to the contact blades l5 by the screws IS. The rear ends of the contact blades are then inserted in the openings therefor in the disc IS, the wedge 25 being inserted to clamp the cable in such position that no endwise strain will be transmitted by the wires to the contact screws "5. The front disc i 8 is then placed upon the contact blades, the abutments l1 engaging the disc I9 and the screws l6 being almost in engagement with the front disc I8, and the screw 2| is engaged with the base of the wedge 25. The parts are then inserted as a unit in the cover H which is distorted sufliciently to permit entry of the rear disc l9 into the circumferential groove 29, and the screw 2| is tightened to force the wedge into more closely gripping engagement with the cable l3 and to force the disc l8 into its seat in the channel 28 and clamp the interposed portion of the cover between the discs.

In the modification shown in Figs. '7 to 11, two oppositely positioned wedges are utilized and are engaged, and forced rearwardly, by the rear ends of the contact blades. As shown, a cover 33, preferably of soft rubber, is formed with a cable-receiving opening 34 enlarged at its forward end to provide a recess 35, a marginal channel 36 and a circumferential groove 31 being provided to receive, respectively, a front disc 38 and a rear disc 39, which are preferably stamped from a sheet of insulating material such as bakelite, or the' like. As in the modification shown in Figs. 1 to 6, the thickness of the wall of the rear portion of the cover 33 is preferably diminished rearwardly and is flared outwardly at 40 to form a widened mouth 4|, to avoid sharp bending of the cable.

The front disc 38 and the rear disc 39 are formed with openings closely fitting the contact blades 42, and the forward disc has countersunk openings 43 to receive screws 44 which are threaded in tubular rivets 45 in the rear disc. Wedges 46, having serrated inner grooves 41 for engagement with a cable 48, are guided in brackets 49 which are secured to the rear of the rear disc 39 by the tubular rivets 45, the brackets having flanges 50 thereon which are preferably received in marginal grooves 5| in the wedges 46, so that sharp protruding edges are avoided. The bases of the wedges 46 are engaged by the rear ends of the contact blades 42, and screws 52 are provided on the contact blades for electrical connection of the wires 53 of the cable thereto, such screws acting as abutments engaged by the rear face of the front disc 38, so that as the discs are drawn together the contact blades will be forced rearwardly and will operate the wedges toward each other into clamping engagement with the cable, the discs being likewise clamped upon the interposed portion of the cover 33.

The assembly of this modified structure is substantially the same as that of the modification shown in Figs. 1 to 6, as described heretofore, and in either construction it will be apparent that the cable will be securely anchored to the fitting so that no tension will be applied by the wires to the contact blades. It will likewise be evident that either structure will be rugged and durable, being particularly resistant to impact and to crushing strains, and that either structure comprises few parts, can be economically manufactured, and can be readily attached to or detached from the cable.

It will be understood that, while two specific embodiments of the invention have been shown and described, various other modifications of detail may be made within the scope of the invention, which is defined in the following claims.

I claim:

1. A terminal contact fitting for an insulated conductor cable, comprising a cover having a cable-receiving opening extending therethrough and enlarged to form a recess at one end, a pair of spaced members of insulating material positioned within said recess, said cover having a portion thereof positioned between said members, a contact extending through one of said members, the other of said members having a cablereceiving opening therein, and means for forcing said members toward each other into clamping engagement with the interposed portion of said cover.

2. A terminal contact fitting for an insulated conductor cable, comprising a cover having a recess therein and a cable-receiving opening communicating with said recess, said cover having a portion projecting inwardly into said recess, a pair of spaced members of insulating material, a contact member extending through one of said members, the other of said members having an opening therein and cable-clamping means associated therewith, and means for forcing said members toward each other into clamping engagement with the interposed portion of said cover and simultaneously forcing said cableclamping means into clamping position.

3. A terminal contact fitting for an insulated conductor cable, comprising a cover having a recess therein and a cable-receiving opening communicating with said recess, an electrical contact element, a pair of members of insulating material within said recess, said contact extending through and supported by one of said members, the other of said members having a cable-receiving opening therein, a wedge movable relative to said other of said members to vary the effective area of the cable-receiving opening therein, and means cooperating with said other of said members for operating said wedge to a position in which it decreases the area of the effective opening in said other of said members.

4. A terminal contact fitting for an insulated conductor cable, comprising a cover having a recess therein and a cable-receiving opening communicating with said recess, an electrical contact element, a member of insulating material supporting said contact and positioned within said recess, a second member positioned within said recess and having a cable-receiving opening therein, a wedge positioned in said opening in said second member, and a screw holding said members in asembled relation and operatively associated with said wedge to force it through said opening.

5. A terminal contact fitting for an insulated conductor cable, comprising a cover having a recess therein and a cable-receiving opening communicating with said recess, a pair of discs of insulating material positioned in said recess, electrical contact elements supported in said discs,

one of said discs having a cable receiving opening therein and an arm mounted thereon and having a portion in line with said opening, a screw passing through the other of said discs and having threaded engagement with said arm, and a wedge positioned in the opening in said first disc and operatively engaged by said screw.

6. A terminal contact fitting for an insulated conductor cable, comprising a cover having a recess therein and a cable-receiving opening communicating with said recess, a forward member of insulating material closing the end of said recess and a rear member of insulating material within said recess and having a. cablereceiving opening therein, contact elements mounted in said members, a pair of wedges mounted on said rear member for movement across the opening therein, said contacts having abutments in engagement with the rear face of said front member and having their rear ends operatively engaging said wedges, and means for forcing said members toward each other.

7. A terminal contact fitting for an insulated conductor cable, comprising a cover having a recess thereinand a cable-receiving opening communicating with said recess, a member of insulating material closing the end of said recess, a second member positioned within-said recess and having a cable-receiving opening therein, contact elements extending through said members and each having an abutment engaged by said first member, a pair of wedges slidably mounted for rearward movement on said second member adjacent the opening therein, the bases of said wedges being engaged by said contacts, said cover having a portion thereof between said members, and means for forcing said members toward each other to clamp said portion of said cover betweenthem and to force said wedges rearwardly.

HARRY B. WHITE. 

